Passage 9

Tap any word for its meaning.

In plain words

Kausalyā comforted Sumitrā and said, “Sister, here, I will give you a part of my pāyasa.” Kaikeyī too poured part of her pāyasa into that bowl. The one born from the pāyasa Kausalyā gave was Lakṣmaṇa. The one born from the pāyasa Kaikeyī gave was Śatrughna. So: ‘If Rāma becomes king, Lakṣmaṇa will serve Rāma. If Daśaratha, as he promised, gives the kingdom to Bharata, Śatrughna must serve him,’ Sumitrā reflected. And so it was: Lakṣmaṇa served Rāma, the son of Kausalyā; Śatrughna served Bharata, the son of Kaikeyī. In that way they all spent their lives in harmony, in mutual love and in joy. Today too, if there are both ‘unity’ and ‘brotherhood’, we will become friends to all. The Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahābhārata teach both oneness and spirituality beautifully. Through unity Bhārata will progress greatly.

Embodiments of Prema! Wherever you go, all of you must proclaim with pride, ‘Mine is Bhārata; mine is the culture of Bhārata.’ You must always stand by that word. To believe in oneness and follow it is very good. Only when there is oneness in these three, ‘caste’, ‘culture’ and ‘country’, will our Bhārata progress well. ‘Bhā-rati’. ‘Bhā’ means God. So Bhārata is the land that loves God. You must recognise this truth and always hold it fast in your mind. “Without singing to Hari there is no happiness, no Śānti.” Everyone who wants peace must sing bhajans. In that alone will we find true peace.